After a state semifinal last night against Sylvania Northview, Olentangy Liberty’s hockey
players skated to their net to comfort goaltender Cam Perry.The Patriots knew that without Perry,
their chances of competing for the state championship would have been slim.And they almost made it
to the final game.

Zander Pryor scored two of Sylvania Northview’s four unanswered goals, and the defending
champion Wildcats escaped with a 4-2 victory over the Patriots at Nationwide Arena.

Pryor’s short-handed goal to tie the score shifted the momentum and put Liberty on its heels.
With 7:47 left in the second period, Perry sent a clearing attempt around the boards. Pryor, who
was screened by Xavier Sudlow pressuring Perry, intercepted the puck and scored into an open net to
make it 2-all.“It was a big mistake, and it ended up probably costing us the game,” said Perry, a
freshman who won 20 games this season.

Said Pryor: “That was all (Sudlow). I was just in a good spot and lucky enough the goalie put it
on my stick.”

The goal appeared to wake up Northview, which, aside from a second-period goal by Drew Crandall,
was unable to generate many scoring chances, relying on long-range shots from beyond the faceoff
circles.

“(That goal) probably took a little wind out of their sails and gave us a huge gust,” Northview
coach Michael Jones said.

The Patriots (27-7-4) had all the momentum early and scored two breakaway goals to take a 2-0
lead. Two minutes in, Chris Bergamesca broke up a pass near center ice, flicked the puck over a
defender to Ethan Hollingsworth, who fed Kyle Horner for a one-timer just left of goalie David
Marsh.

Five minutes later, Brock Rumbaugh directed a faceoff to Nick Kouskouris, who banked the puck
off the boards to Noah Allmaras, who scored his second goal in as many games.

“That’s a tough first two shots in a state semifinal game,” Jones said. “We lessened the odd-man
rushes as time went on.”

Northview (27-6-1) also took advantage of an interference penalty on Liberty’s Cole Bumpass and
scored a power-play goal by Nick LaPlante, whose slap shot deflected in off the right post with
9:45 remaining to make it 3-2.

The Patriots had three more odd-man situations in the third period, two more scoring chances by
Hollingsworth — who missed on two rebound shots — and Horner’s miss with 5:14 left.

“I’m pretty sure I hit the post with one rebound, but they really did a good job of clearing the
net,” Hollingsworth said.

Perry made two more saves before being pulled for an extra attacker, but Liberty could not
generate any scoring chances. He returned to his post after Pryor’s empty-net goal with 0.7 of a
second left and was on the ice to be with his teammates as time expired.

“For my first year and how well we did, it was a real emotional moment, said Perry, who made 20
saves. “It was really stressful, but my team has always had my back.” .

Said Liberty coach Jack Hoogeveen: “It was up to us to respond because Cam has been spectacular
all year. We scored two quick goals and should’ve worked a little harder to get another one.”